My Struggles Make me Grateful

I think it’s a lovely convenience that World Mental Health Day also falls during our Thanksgiving  weekend here in Canada.

I know I haven’t written in a while.  I’ve been working on rebranding my business, filming classes for my website launch and writing two books.  It’s also been a period of introspection and transformation for me.  And for the last six weeks,I have had an unfortunately ridiculous busy time in my full time work.

I’ve been trying to be really open and honest about my journey with mental health this year.  If you’ve read earlier blogs, you know that I went through a period early in the year where I considered myself hurt, mildly depressed and what I can best describe as “broken”.

I’ve been working to recover and grow from my experiences.  It’s been tough.  I’ve had setbacks.  But it’s given me perspective and an almost super power in that I know myself better than ever before.

You see, going through tough times is a lesson in helping us to live our best life.  We can’t have happiness without sadness, calmness without anxiousness, or growth without setback.  The true warrior, the person who will arise from the ashes like the rebirth of the phoenix, is the one who recognizes this and puts it to great use.  You just have to be willing to put in the work.

I couldn’t have moved through these last few months (and years, really) without the learning and tools I’ve have accessible to me such as taking care of my self, finding purpose, meditating, being mindful and aware, journalling, and most recently, seeking help.  (I did see a therapist for two years during and subsequent to the end of my first marriage but that was almost 20 years ago now and I am now a completely different person, as are you).

Being in a state where I felt broken and somewhat helpless in my work situation, as well as sharing the journey with my husband and his PTSI (“post traumatic stress injury” is now what we call it because it IS something you can recover from), I decided I need some help. I have no shame in telling you this.  I’m telling you for a reason.  I’m being open and honest with you so that you can be open and honest with yourself (and hopefully we can be open and honest with each other).

Seeking help was the best thing I did for myself.  Not that I was “fixed”.  But it validated how I felt and gave me insight into why I felt the way I did.  It gave me more work to do on myself so that I can continue to grow, flourish and thrive in my one shot at this life.  I don’t want any excuses to hold me back from what I’m meant to be doing or want to be doing.  Neither should you.

Seeking help is one of the best acts of self care that you can give yourself.  Help doesn’t need to be professional.  It can be talking to a friend, family member, community member or someone you trust or look up to.  It can be learning new tools to take care of yourself. It can be learning what habits you’ve created that aren’t serving you so you can change them, It can be learning what thought patterns are holding you back, taking a much needed break or leaving a situation.  It can be many more things also.  We are all different and bringing different life experiences to the table so we each need to follow our own path and find what works for us.

So, I want to tell all of you how grateful I am for the experiences I’ve had that have brought me to this place.  I am grateful to those who have blocked my path, not believed in me, bullied me, made fun of me and questioned my decisions because those are the people that have allowed me to find my true authentic self as well as my life’s purpose: to help others on their own journey.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am also grateful for the love and support of my husband, family and friends (they know who they are), for the opportunities I’ve been afforded, for those who believe in me and support me, for tea, books, music, good food, wine, and living life to the fullest.

I am grateful for you because if you took the time to read this then I suspect we are kindred spirits.